I took Lady Quixote, a X-Man fan, to X-3 on Saturday night. I’m not a fan of the X-Men, so I won’t capture my comments on the movie itself. However, I want to warn all fans about one point that will improve their enjoyment of the movie.

After the movie was over, about 80% of the viewers left immediately. My wife and I decided not to fight the crowd, we just remained seated during the credits and talked. We have not had much time for dates in a while and it was nice to just be out without the kids. I was mildly curious if there would be a surprise preview at the end of the credits as there was with second Matrix movie, but I certainly did not expect what actually followed the credits. There was another scene from the movie that had a great impact on the X-Man story. So if you go to the movie, stay for the final scene. You’ll be glad you did.

After 108 years, the unconstitutional and illegal phone tax will finally cease. After July 31, phone companies should no longer collect this tax (so check your bills in August). It only took the rulings of five appeals court to make the government quit this illegal practice. How is the government fined for this crime? After illegally collecting this money for 108 years, the government only has to refund the last three years worth of taxes. Must be nice to collect revenue that does not belong to you for 108 years and get to keep 105 years worth of it.

The average phone user will get about $20 back next year as the tax is 3% of your monthly phone bill. Since Lady Quixote likes to talk, I’ll get back a bit more than $20 – maybe enough to fill up my gas tank.

This should be a lesson to all of us on goverments and taxation. One – even if it is illegal, a government will tax you if it can get away with it. Thank you to Office Max and HP for finally suing to stop this practice. Two – those who believe in temporary taxes should take note. This tax was illegally passed in 1898 to fund our part in the Spanish-American War.

Without meaning to, they have painted a misleadingly Pollyannaish picture of Iraq, and that's the wrong way to counter the liberal media's misleadingly Cassandrian one.

Presuming Taranto’s intent was to compare the overly optimistic picture of some on the right (the misleadingly Pollyannaish) with the overly pessimistic picture of some the left (the misleadingly Cassandrian), he should brush up on his mythology. His comparison misses the mark on two counts.

First, all of Cassandra’s prophecies came true. I am certain Taranto did not mean to attribute this ability to his liberal colleagues. Second, Cassandra was cursed so that no one would believe her true forecasts. I’m not sure how one would counter a Cassandrian prophesy - by making people believe a truthful forecast?

I’d respectfully suggest that replacing the Cassandra reference with an Al Gorean climate forecast would be both more accurate and more appropriate for Taranto’s target audience.

This country was founded by immigrants and we have an obligation to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Yet we cannot afford to support the world and there are inherent fairness issues (should an illegal immigrant who snuck into the country take precedence over the family member of a legal alien who has been trying to join his American-based family for five years?).

Two people have written letters about the subject of illegal immigration, one serious, and one satirical. However both letters raise interesting points and should be required reading for those who are interested in immigration policy.

The first letter is from David Stoddard, a retired border patrol agent. He wrote an open letter to Senator Frist. Since it was an open letter, I am free to copy it in its entirety for your benefit.

There is a huge amount of propaganda and myths circulating about illegal aliens, particularly illegal Mexican, Salvadorian, Guatemalan and Honduran aliens.

1. Illegal aliens generally do NOT want U.S. citizenship. Americans are very vain thinking that everybody in the world wants to be a U.S. citizen. Mexicans, and other nationalities want to remain citizens of their home countries while obtaining the benefits offered by the United States such as employment, medical care, in-state tuition, government subsidized housing and free education for their offspring. Their main attraction is employment and their loyalty usually remains at home. They want benefits earned and subsidized by middle class Americans. What illegal aliens want are benefits of American residence without paying the price.

2. There are no jobs that Americans won't do. Illegal aliens are doing jobs that Americans can't take and still support their families. Illegal aliens take low wage jobs, live dozens in a single residence home, share expenses and send money to their home country. There are no jobs that Americans won't do for a decent wage.

3. Every person who illegally entered this nation left a home. They are NOT homeless and they are NOT Americans. Some left jobs in their home countries. They come to send money to their real home as evidenced by the more than 20 billion dollars sent out of the country each year by illegal aliens. These illegal aliens knowingly and willfully entered this nation in violation of the law and therefore assumed the risk of detection and deportation. Those who brought their alien children assumed the responsibility and risk on behalf of their children.

4. Illegal aliens are NOT critical to the economy. Illegal aliens constitute less than 5% of the workforce. However, they reduce wages and benefits for lawful U.S. residents.

5. This is NOT an immigrant nation. There are 280 million native born Americans. While it is true that this nation was settled and founded by immigrants (legal immigrants), it is also true that there is not a nation on this planet that was not settled by immigrants at one time or another.

6. The United States is welcoming to legal immigrants. Illegal aliens are not immigrants by definition. The U.S. accepts more lawful immigrants every year than the rest of the world combined.

7. There is no such thing as the "Hispanic vote". Hispanics are white, brown, black and every shade in between. Hispanics are Republicans, Democrats, Anarchists, Communists, Marxists and Independents. The so-called "Hispanic vote" is a myth. Pandering to illegal aliens to get the Hispanic vote is a dead end.

8. Mexico is NOT a friend of the United States. Since 1848 Mexicans have resented the United States. During World War I Mexico allowed German Spies to operate freely in Mexico to spy on the U.S. During World War II Mexico allowed the Axis powers to spy on the U.S. from Mexico. During the Cold War Mexico allowed spies hostile to the U.S. to operate freely. The attack on the Twin Towers in 2001 was cheered and applauded all across Mexico. Today Mexican school children are taught that the U.S. stole California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. If you don't believe it, check out some Mexican textbooks written for their schoolchildren.

9. Although some illegal aliens enter this country for a better life, there are 6 billion people on this planet. At least 1 billion of those live on less than one dollar a day. If wanting a better life is a valid excuse to break the law and sneak into America, then let's allow those one billion to come to America and we'll turn the USA into a Third World nation overnight. Besides, there are 280 million native born Americans who want a better life. I'll bet Bill Gates and Donald Trump want a better life. When will the USA lifeboat be full? Since when is wanting a better life a good reason to trash another nation?

10. There is a labor shortage in this country. This is a lie. There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of American housewives, senior citizens, students, unemployed and underemployed who would gladly take jobs at a decent wage.

11. It is racist to want secure borders. What is racist about wanting secure borders and a secure America? What is racist about not wanting people to sneak into America and steal benefits we have set aside for legal aliens, senior citizens, children and other legal residents? What is it about race that entitles people to violate our laws, steal identities, and take the American Dream without paying the price?

For about four decades American politicians have refused to secure our borders and look after the welfare of middle class Americans. These politicians have been of both parties. A huge debt to American society has resulted. This debt will be satisfied and the interest will be high. There has already been riots in the streets by illegal aliens and their supporters. There will be more. You, as a politician, have a choice to offend the illegal aliens who have stolen into this country and demanded the rights afforded to U.S. citizens or to offend those of us who are stakeholders in this country. The interest will be steep either way. There will be civil unrest. There will be a reckoning. Do you have the courage to do what is right for America? Or, will you bow to the wants and needs of those who don't even have the right to remain here?

There will be a reckoning. It will come in November of this year, again in 2008 and yet again in 2010.

We will not allow America to be stolen by third world agitators and thieves.

David J. Stoddard
U.S. Border Patrol (RET)
Hereford, Arizona

Many people have emailed me anonymous copies of the second letter, an open letter to President Bush. With the help of the internet and TMH’s Bacon Bits, I was able to learn that the letter was originally sent to Lee Rogers, a San Francisco radio talk show host, but the author remains anonymous.

Dear President Bush:

I'm about to plan a little trip with my family and extended family, and I would like to ask you to assist me. I'm going to walk across the border from the U.S. into Mexico, and I need to make a few arrangements. I know you can help with this.

I plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration quotas and laws. I'm sure they handle those things the same way you do here.

So, would you mind telling your buddy, President Vicente Fox, that I'm on my way ? Please let him know that I will be expecting the following:

1. Free medical care for my entire family.

2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might need, whether I use them or not.

3. All government forms need to be printed in English.

4. I want my kids to be taught by English-speaking teachers.

5. Schools need to include classes on American culture and history.

6. I want my kids to see the American flag flying on the top of the flag pole at their school with the Mexican flag flying lower down.

7. Please plan to feed my kids at school for both breakfast and lunch.

8. I will need a local Mexican driver's license so I can get easy access to government services.

9. I do not plan to have any car insurance, and I won't make any effort to learn local traffic laws.

10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo from Pres. Fox to leave me alone, please be sure that all police officers speak English.

11. I plan to fly the U.S. flag from my house top, put flag decals on my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any complaints or negative comments from the locals.

12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, and don't enforce any labor laws or tax laws.

13. Please tell all the people in the country to be extremely nice and never say a critical word about me, or about the strain I might place on the economy.

Mr. President, I know this is an easy request because you already do all these things for all the people who come to the U.S. from Mexico. I am sure that Pres. Fox won't mind returning the favor if you ask him nicely. However, if he gives you any trouble, just invite him to go quail hunting with your V.P.

These letters reflect the growing feelings of many, if not most, Americans. I hope our politicians start to pay serious attention to the problems of illegal immigration while improving the process for legal immigration. Otherwise, the backlash may get very ugly.

I am probably more reserved than most and after seeing illegal immigrants and their supporters burn the American flag, fly the Mexican flag in our country as a claim they will make it part of Mexico, and promote boycotting American (gringo) goods, I’m seriously considering a boycott of my own. I love Mexican food. My entire adult life I have found authentic Mexican restaurants run by Mexicans and given them a good deal of business. I do not know if all the employees were legal or not. However, I am wondering if I will continue to patronize these restaurants. If something is not done by our leaders soon, I will personally boycott all Mexican owned restaurants as well as all American businesses that I know use illegal labor. This may be unfair to legal Mexican immigrants who only employ legal immigrants, but I do not want to support the problem by giving money to criminals.

I am starting to seriously work on my internet store design. I have big long-term plans for Solport, so I’m going to give the store a name as if it were a level on Solport. Right now I’m playing with Solport Promenade in a nod to Deep Space Nine or the Solport Emporium simply because I like the way it sounds.

The good guys just scored one in the terrorist media wars. Al-Zarqawi had previously released a video on the internet showing his prowess with machines guns as part of a campaign to convince fellow terrorists that they should listen to him, the great warrior.

The US Army found the original video from which the internet clips came. They reveal al-Zarqawi and his associates as unfamiliar with weapons. In fact, they reminded me of the stereotypical Arab terrorists in Back to the Future. ABC has the video, although you first have to watch a 30 second commercial.

I watched the video and you can see this "great warrior" has no clue how to handle a simple gun jam. Neither do his associates seem to understand that after you fire a gun, the barrel gets hot.

If I were the US, I’d be putting this on late night TV in Bagdad on the comedy circuit.